Hey all, I have a '99 s70 that I want to get tuned (I know I know, the base models are basically as good as they can get from factory, I'm not going for performance here. Gotta get those POPS) But everyone I've talked to about it has said the '99s cant be tuned because they're Vin Locked. I'm hoping someone here has any ideas to get around that, or if that's entirely false in itself. Thank you!

 

when you say tuned are you referring to reprogramming the ECU? I don't think the issue is "can't be tuned" the issue is there's not a lot of upside tuning an NA engine's ECU so very few after market vendors support NA kits. Most ECU tunes are for turbo engines where the boost can be increased with matching fuel trim changes to produce a quick 30-50 HP. For an NA best you can hope for is maybe 10 HP from advancing the spark. That said, you can look other places to get some HP - opening the exhaust is easiest, after that you'd need to dig into the engine. Most conventional wisdom is invest in handling/brakes/sound system to make your's a fun ride. If you want more HP, trade in and buy a turbo car. I suppose you can try shopping around or try a bolt on that spoofs the ECU's signals but again, not a lot of upside.

 

For sure, I'm not looking for any power gains, I do agree that the N/As are at a good point from factory power wise. Have some exhaust work done and suspension is coming next, but I'm more so looking for something similar to a burble tune. Some people hate them, other love them, but it's exactly what I'm looking for with my build. Do you think I'd be able to have a shop make a burble tune for my car or would the vinlocked ecu get in the way of that?
Sorry for the silly questions, I'm still new to tuning cars.

 

the car is a 99 so the ECU design is not likely to be VIN locked. what is the more likely limitation is how the ECU program is stored. If its burned into a PROM chip, the new program would need to be loaded into a replacement chip that gets installed. Some ECUs use an erasable PROM which means the program can be soft loaded. Best reach out to the various Volvo friendly tuner stores to see what's available.